Melissa Canfield, the Deputy Director for the Landlord Lobby’s Rental Housing Association of Washington, just gave the maximum legal donation to Will Dreher’s campaign per Hannah Krieg at the Burner.
Canfield has only ever maxed out to exactly two legislative candidates.
One is a Republican. Republican Ashley Togai - also got a maximum donation (then $1,000) from Canfield in 2022 in her bid for the State House.
The other is Will Dreher.
Her other two (non-maximum) donations went to famously right-wing Democrats -
Rep. Amy Walen, one of the only Democrats to vote against the Millionaire’s Tax ($250).
Former Burien Mayor Kevin Schilling, who feuded with King County’s Sheriff’s department because he thought they were too woke/law abiding ($250). Schilling also works with Canfield.
As to the Rental Housing Association she helps run? It . ..
Loves conservatives
Frequently donates the maximum to Republican Lawmakers
Celebrates seat flips and chamber flips to Republicans
Gave money to former Seattle Attorney Ann Davison, an open Republican
Gave money to Seattle’s arch-conservative Democrat Sara Nelson.
Loves right-wing rhetoric
On Tacoma’s Safe Homes For All initiative;“This is the goal of socialism, Schilling said, “Of, ‘I want to ensure that even though I don’t own this property, you, the property owner, don’t get to do what you want with it.’”
“Housing provider rights are threatened by endless regulation.”
Rent stabilization is a “toxic cocktail, and “a catastrophe.”
Hates any sort of renter protections
Wants to preempt local tenant protections.
Opposed Spokane’s tenant safety plan for maximum bedroom temperatures of 80 degrees after a 2021 heat dome had killed 19 people in Spokane County.
Is currently spending big money to stop the “Safe Homes for All” initiative in Tacoma, per the Burner.
Sadly, a few progressives - some gullible, some with an axe to grind - have given Dreher cover by pretending he shares progressive values.
This is the same guy who:
Told the Seattle Times his answer to a $3.5B budget gap: 100% cuts. (Said progressive taxes need to be offset by other tax cuts, the budget needs to be fixed with audits and cuts).
In the same interview said he is open to making it a felony to solicit sex (the misdemeanor is disproportionately enforced against men of color).
Signed a letter urging Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court and refuses to apologize for it
As of this Summer, took more money in donations from the AI industry than he raised in total from people in the State of Washington.
The landlord lobby knows exactly who he is.
Now you do too.
Tell your friends and neighbors before his big-AI money backed campaign bamboozles them with his fake progressive rhetoric.